July 21st, 2014
Probiotics May Help Reduce Blood Pressure
Larry Husten, PHD
As interest in probiotics has grown in recent years, some evidence has emerged that probiotics may favorably reduce blood pressure, but trials have been small and inconsistent. Now a meta-analysis published in Hypertension suggests that the blood-pressure lowering effects of probiotics may be genuine. Saman Khalesi and colleagues analyzed data from nine parallel, randomized, controlled trials including […]
July 21st, 2014
Study Finds Flaws in Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis for DVT
Larry Husten, PHD
In recent years, catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) has been added to the current standard of anticoagulation therapy in some patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The hope was that CDT would help reduce the high rate of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), but now an observational study finds no benefits and some important disadvantages associated with CDT. In […]
July 17th, 2014
Clinical Events vs. Quality of Life: An Insider’s View of TACT
Gervasio Antonio Lamas, MD
TACT investigator Gervasio Lamas provides perspective on two new TACT papers that appear to have contradictory results.
July 17th, 2014
SIMPLE Can Be Complicated
Joseph G Akar, MD/PhD and Johnny Michel Abboud, MD
Reimbursement issues might add a layer of complexity to the findings from the SIMPLE trial.
July 16th, 2014
HPS2-THRIVE: The Final Chapter in the Niacin Story?
Nicholas Downing, MD and Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM
Findings from HPS2-THRIVE raise uncomfortable questions for physicians.
July 16th, 2014
New Evidence Fuels Concerns About The Safety Of Niacin
Larry Husten, PHD
The string of failures– for HDL therapies in general and for niacin in particular– continues unabated. The publication of the main results of the HPS2-THRIVE trial, along with new information from the AIM-HIGH trial, provide no evidence of a beneficial effect for niacin but do raise concerns that it may cause serious adverse effects. In […]
July 14th, 2014
Can Bivalirudin Stand the HEAT?
Eric Jose Velazquez, MD
Harlan Krumholz interviews Peter Berger, an editorialist for the HEAT-PPCI study, about the paper’s findings.
July 14th, 2014
Poor Retention of Guideline Recommendations
Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM
Harlan Krumholz discusses a JAMA study that found a substantial proportion of Class I guideline recommendations were not durable over a 10-year period.
July 14th, 2014
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: July 14th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics are leucocyte telomere length and the risk for CVD, and the association between alcohol and CVD.
July 11th, 2014
Do FFR and IVUS Feed the Elephant?
Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and L. David Hillis, MD
Rick Lange and David Hillis wonder whether the debate about the role of FFR and IVUS in patient selection for PCI is a red herring in the larger issue of revascularization in patients with stable CAD.